Exhibits for tradeshows and other marketing venues utilize eye catching and informative graphical portions that are intended to inform and present an image to customers or potential customers. A common use will be at convention or exposition halls where perhaps a single day is allocated for each of setup and removal. To create desired attention-getting appeal, such displays can be massive in size and complexity. Moreover such convention space is usually extraordinarily expensive as is labor for set up and take down of the displays. Thus, such displays need to be designed to be easily and quickly erected and taken down. Such constraints often make these displays quite expensive. Moreover, often new fresh designs are desirable.
Thus it is preferable that the displays are easily reconfigureable allowing at least the structural framework components to be reused in alternate display configurations.
The above needs have been met to some extent with collapsible frameworks or collapsible trusses, as illustrated with U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,021, and with box frame designs, as illustrated with U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/953,111 and 09/953,113. While all of these systems have their advantages, the collapsible systems cannot support extensive weight and the exposed truss systems present an industrial look. Large diameter tubular framework systems present a very desirable visual alternative. Such systems have been used in trade show type displays but have not had the flexibility and reconfigurability desirable in this type of product line. Generally such large diameter tubular displays must be custom made for a particular design and involve welded connections and very large sections. Currently, such large framework systems are cumbersome and are often designed with one particular configuration in mind. If the members are not welded, they are generally joined using limited fixed joint connections. Predefined and fixed tees, cross bars, elbows, and the like are provided to join members in a particular configuration. An inability to selectively design and setup such steel tubular framework systems is problematic. It would be highly desirable to have a large diameter display utilizing large diameter tubing that is easily reconfigurable and dissassemblable. It would also be desirable to be able to incorporate such large diameter tubing framework systems with existing truss or box frame systems.